Means for detachably securing wriststraps



May 19, 1959 s. G. ISLER 2,886,874

MEANS FOR DETACHABLY SECURING WRISTSTRAPS Filed March 18, 1957 INVENTOR.

SAUL G. ISLER ihA/MAGYW ATTORNEYS United States Patent MEANS FOR DETACHABLY SECURING WRISTSTRAPS Saul G. Isler, Cleveland, Ohio Application March 18, 1957, Serial No. 646,615

3 Claims. (Cl. 24-265) This invention relates to an improved means for detachably securing wriststraps to watchcases or similar articles.

The present invention has its principal object the provision of means whereby wriststraps may be easily and quickly attached to watchcases and the like, without requiring removal of the watchcases attachment pins, and without the use of tools of any kind.

A further object is to provide a watchstrap or the like, as described above, which has a built-in attaching means.

Other objects will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Fig. 1 is a rear view of a conventional watchcase, showing a watchstrap embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary rear view showing one end of the watchstrap attached.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but shows a modification of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a trouser belt showing another modification of the invention.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a watch W is shown, which is comprised of watch case C, a tongue strap 1 and a buckle strap 2. Each of these straps is secured to the case C in the same manner, so that only the attachment of strap 2 will be described.

Strap 2 may be formed of any suitable flexible material so that its inner end 3 may be passed around the strap attachment pin or anchor bar 4 and be folded back upon itself to be detachably secured to the underside of the strap. This attachment is made by means of a latching device comprising a loop member 5 and a latching or hook member 6, to be later described.

Strap 2 is composed of two plies, 2a and 2b, of said flexible material, the ply 2b extending beyond the ply 2a, so as to form a tongue 7, said tongue 7 being formed narrower than the remainder of ply 2b.

Loop member 5 is secured to the tongue 7 by passing said tongue 7 through said loop member 5 and securely fastening said tongue betwene the plies 2a and 2b as by stitching 8.

Loop member 5 is composed of a single piece of wire, or like material, bent to form a loop comprising parallel sides 9 and 1b and cross-bars 9a and 9b connecting said parallel sides, said loop being essentially rectangular in shape, essentially equivalent in width to strap 2.

Secured to the inner face of strap 2, in spaced relation to the loop member 5, as by stitching 11, is the latching or hook member 6. Said hook member 6 comprises base portions 12, and parallel arms 13 and 14, said arms 13 and 14 being spaced apart a distance slightly less than the diameter of side of the loop member 5.

In attaching the strap 2 to the anchor bar or strap attachment pin 4 of the watch case C, the end 3, of the strap, is passed through space 15 of the watch case, looped around the bar 4, and the loop member is brought to position as indicated by the phantom lines in Fig. 3. Side 10 is then snapped through the space between the parallel arms 13 and 14, and brought to rest against the base portions 12 of hook member 6. The loop member is thereby firmly secured to the hook, yet the strap may be easily removed by merely snapping the side 10 of the loop member back through the space between the arms 13 and 14. This snap action is, of course, obtained, as previously described, by spacing the arms 13 and 14 apart a distance slightly less than the diameter of the side 10 of the loop member. The length of the hook member 6 is slightly less than the distance between cross-bars 9a and 9b, of the loop member, so as to allow a portion of the hook member to nest within the loop member, thereby preventing relative lengthwise movement of the loop member with respect to the hook member, when said loop member is in snapped engagement with said hook member.

The watch W is secured to the wearers wrist by means of an ordinary buckle B, or the like.

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the construction of the strap 2 and the loop member 5 is the same as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, but the hook member 6 is replaced by hook member 16. Said hook member 16 comprises a base portion 17 which is sewn to the strap as by stitching 18, and a hook portion comprising bends 19 and an arm 20, said arm 20 being parallel to said base portion 17. Said arm 20 is spaced apart from the base portion 17 a distance slightly less than the thickness or diameter of side 10 of loop member 5. The attachment of the loop member 5 to the hook member 16 is secured by bringing the loop member to the position as indicated by phantom lines in Fig. 5. The side 10 of the loop member 5 is then snapped through the opening between the base portion 17 and the arm 20 of the hook member 16, and brought to rest against the bends 19, which, being smaller in diameter than said side 10 of the loop member, hold said side 10 in clinched securement therewith.

The length of the hook member 16 is slightly less than the distance between the cross-bars 9a and 9b of the loop member, so as to allow the bends of the hook member 16 to nest within the loop member 5, thereby preventing relative lengthwise movement of the loop member with respect to the hook member, when said loop member is in snapped engagement with said hook member. The manner of attachment and detachment is otherwise obvious from the foregoing description of the primary embodiment of the invention.

In the application of the invention shown in Fig. 6, the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is used as a means of securing a belt around a wearers waist. A metal or plastic loop 21 is adjustably secured to one end of the belt as at 22, the inside diameter of said loop 21 being larger than the length of loop member 5, so as to allow loop member 5 to easily pass through the said loop 21. Loop member 5 and hook member 16 are secured to the other end of the belt in a manner previously taught in this specification. The belt is secured to the wearers Waist by passing the loop member 5 through the loop 21 and securing said loop member 5 to the hook member 16 in a manner also previously treated elsewhere in this specification.

While this invention is most used in conjlunction with the familiar two-piece buckle watchstrap, it may also be used wherever it is desirable to detachably secure a flexible strap to an anchor bar, or the like; as for example, a stretch bracelet or band, a belt buckle, a Suspender or garter snap, a watch-fob, etc.

While I have described two forms of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made Patented May 19, 9..

without departing from the spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a strap attachment pin of a Watch, a wriststrap having a portion extending about said pin and having a loop at one end, a loop member having parallel straight sides, one of which is contained Within said loop, and a hook member attached to a portion of said strap spaced from the looped end, the other straight side of said loop member being adapted to be releasably engaged in said hook member.

2. The combination, as recited in claim. 1, in which said hook member is provided With parallel arms spaced apart a distance slightly less than the thickness of the other straight side of said loop member, and said other straight side of the loop member being adapted to be inserted between said parallel arms for engagement with the hook member.

3. The combination, as recited in claim 1, in which said hook member is provided with a base portion secured to said strap, and with an arm portion parallel with said base portion and spaced from said base portion a distance slightly less than the thickness of the other straight side of said loop member, said other straight side of the loop member being adapted to :be inserted between said base portion and arm portion for engagement with the hook member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 384,484 Weinberg June 12, 1888 535,502 Knighton Mar. 12, 1895 627,370 Weiss June 20, 1899 2,541,614 Rosenberger Feb. 13, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 59,371 France Jan. 6, 1954 372,253 Great Britain May 5, 1932 698,192 France Nov. 17, 1930 

